credo means A statement of a belief or a summary statement of a whole belief system; also (metonymically) the belief or belief system itself. It carries an Arena rating of 1849, earned across 36 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, credo ranks #3 of 13,218 for Most Elegant Words, #13 of 13,218 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #36 of 13,218 for Most Malleable Words, #563 of 13,218 for Most Beautiful Words.
credo is pronounced /ˈkɹidəʊ/.
Why “credo” is a great word
A statement of one's core beliefs or guiding principles, especially the architecture of a private faith. From the Latin crēdō ("I believe"), the first word of the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds; entered English via Old French and Middle English as a doublet of 'creed'. Unlike a formal, communal creed, or a pithy organizational motto, a credo is the quiet vow made in a mirror at dawn, the unshakable axiom held fast against a howling wind, the few lines recited under one's breath before stepping into the arena—the personal liturgy that makes action possible when all external assurances fail.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English credo, from Old French credo, from Latin crēdō (“to believe”); doublet of creed.
noun
- A statement of a belief or a summary statement of a whole belief system; also (metonymically) the belief or belief system itself.““You’re either with me or you’re against me” became Dany’s credo, and those against her were an ever-changing multitude to be determined solely by her whims.”
- The liturgical creed (usually the Nicene Creed), or a musical arrangement of it for use in church services.“Credo III is so beautiful!”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- tenet 85% match — An opinion, belief, or principle that is held as absolute truth by someone or especially an organization. vs credo →
- certitude 83% match — Sureness, certainty. vs credo →
- verity 82% match — Truth, fact or reality, especially an enduring religious or ethical truth; veracity. vs credo →
- dictum 82% match — An authoritative statement; a dogmatic saying; a maxim, an apothegm. vs credo →
- ethos 82% match — The character or fundamental values of a person, people, culture, or movement. vs credo →
- dogmatize 81% match — To treat something as dogma. vs credo →
- weltanschauung 81% match — A person's or a group's conception, philosophy or view of the world; a worldview. vs credo →
- apostasy 81% match — The renunciation of a belief or set of beliefs. vs credo →